Results 1,801-1,820 of 18,726 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: The person referred to by the Deputy submitted an application on behalf of the non-EEA national concerned in October 2004 for the stated purpose of a three month holiday in the State. The application was examined by a visa officer who concluded that, based on the documentation provided, it was not reasonable in all the circumstances to grant a visa and the application was refused. The visa...

Written Answers — Refugee Status: Refugee Status (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: The position is that the person concerned arrived in the State on 16 May 2001 and claimed asylum. She was notified by letter of 1 February 2002, that the Refugee Applications Commissioner was recommending that she be refused refugee status. Her subsequent appeal was refused. She was notified of my decision not to grant her refugee status by letter of 28 August 2002. The letter also informed...

Written Answers — Age Cards: Age Cards (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: I assume the Deputy is referring to the age card issued by the Garda Síochána in order to confirm that the person to whom it has been issued has attained the legal age for the purchase of intoxicating liquor. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the application procedure for the age card is governed by the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1988 (Age Card) Regulations 1999, made under the...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: My limited involvement in this area concerns principally the human rights aspects of persons with mental illness who have committed offences and thus come into contact with the criminal justice system. The Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 contains important new provisions in this respect, including the establishment of a new Mental Health Review Board. The main function of the board will be...

Written Answers — Human Trafficking: Human Trafficking (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: I can inform the Deputy that, the Ad Hoc Committee on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, CAHTEH, held its seventh meeting in December 2004. At that meeting CAHTEH finalised the examination of the draft Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings and approved the text. The CAHTEH agreed to submit the text of the draft Convention to the Committee of...

Written Answers — Sex Offenders: Sex Offenders (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda Síochána has no evidence of any paedophile ring operating in the Munster area.

Written Answers — Garda Vetting Services: Garda Vetting Services (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Garda central vetting unit, GCVU, was established in January 2002 to carry out criminal record vetting in respect of prospective full-time employees working primarily in the health care area and in certain designated agencies. The human resources assigned to the GCVU currently comprise one Garda sergeant, two gardaí, and nine civil servants, and the unit currently deals with...

Written Answers — Register of Sex Offenders: Register of Sex Offenders (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: In the context of the Good Friday Agreement an intergovernmental agreement on North-South co-operation on criminal justice matters, together with an associated work programme, is currently being negotiated and is expected to be finalised shortly. One of the items under consideration for inclusion in the work programme is the establishment of a working group to review the arrangements for...

Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 to 165, inclusive, together. I have been informed by the Garda authorities that aggregate data for 2004 drug seizures is not available at present. This data is currently being prepared for inclusion in the Garda Síochána annual report for 2004. However, I understand that provisional data on drug seizures last year is likely to be available shortly. I...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: I would refer the Deputy to the reply I gave to Question No. 55 on Wednesday, 8 December, 2004. The position is updated as follows in the following table:

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that, for security reasons, it is not Garda policy to comment upon the security arrangements for individual heads of state or visiting dignitaries. I am also informed that the level of security afforded to such VIPs is an operational decision involving many factors, having due regard to the safety and security of the VIP and the entitlement of...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 to 171, inclusive, together. The table below outlines the number of applications received, applications refused and certificates issued in the citizenship section of my Department in the period 1995 to 2004. Year Number of Applications naturalisation Number of Certificates issued * Number refused* Number of Applications PNC Number of Certificates...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: As I have indicated previously, the major reduction in the numbers of asylum applicants is now giving me an opportunity to re-focus resources on areas of service provision for non-nationals which are under-resourced at this point in time. The citizenship area is one of the areas which is benefiting from that process. Given the very large numbers of staff involved and having regard to the...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: I understand that an application for capital grant assistance under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) 2000-2006 was submitted by the group to my Department some time ago. The EOCP is a seven-year development programme which aims to increase the availability and quality of child care to support parents in employment, education and training. The level of demand for capital...

Written Answers — Garda Pensions: Garda Pensions (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: My Department is responsible for payments made under the Garda superannuation scheme and I am in the process of establishing an internal dispute resolution procedure for Garda pensioners. Arrangements will be made to have the procedure in place in the near future. In the interim, the Finance Officer, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Killarney, County Kerry is the official in my...

Written Answers — Garda Band: Garda Band (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that members of the Garda Band are appointed in accordance with the provisions of regulation 14 of the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 1988 which provide that: "Where the Commissioner is satisfied that a person has special technical qualifications which justify his appointment and enrolment under this regulation as a member...

Written Answers — Grant Aid: Grant Aid (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: I understand that applications for capital and staffing grant assistance under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme — EOCP — 2000-2006, were submitted by the group to my Department some time ago. The EOCP is a seven-year development programme which aims to increase the availability and quality of childcare to support parents in employment, education and training. The level of...

Written Answers — School Grants: School Grants (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: In January 2003, a staffing grant of €12,000 for one year, and a capital grant of €20,426 was allocated under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) 2000-2006 to the group referred to by the Deputy. As the Deputy will appreciate, funding under the staffing measure of the programme is awarded to community based organisations providing child care which supports disadvantaged...

Written Answers — School Grants: School Grants (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) 2000-2006 is a seven-year development programme which aims to increase the availability of child care, support parents and in particular disadvantaged parents, thereby, enabling them to avail of employment, education and training opportunities. Applications for staffing grant assistance must be directly related to the provision and...

Written Answers — Proscribed Organisations: Proscribed Organisations (27 Jan 2005)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy will appreciate that to disclose precise details of intelligence information provided by the Garda Síochána on such matters in the context of a reply to a parliamentary question would be contrary to long-standing practice and would not be in the public interest.